Hints for cultivating Fuchsia gracilis, $c. 



17 



scarlet and free flowering shrub. I struck a cutting in Febru^ 

 ary, and it grew to the height of seven feet by September, with 

 numerous branches, and I may say hundreds of spikes all in 

 flower at one time. If kept in the frame two months, it will 

 grow fast, and will require shifting once or twice during this 

 time. I remove it to the green-house about the middle of 

 May, and let it remain there, giving it plenty of air night and 

 day. In June, I shift it into a large pot or tub, according to 

 the size I wish the plant to attain. The red spider must be 

 sharply looked after, otherwise it will ruin the plant in a short 

 time. I have seen it planted in the open ground in summer, 

 and taken up with a ball in the autumn, and potted ; but the 

 spikes of flowers are never half as large as when treated in the 

 manner above described. It will grow in any kind of fresh 

 earth, and requires a great deal of water in summer. 1 put in 

 fresh cuttings every spring, and throw away the old plants. 



Most climbing plants, when planted and trained in their pro- 

 per places under glass, add greatly to the beauty of plant- 

 houses of every description, and fill 

 up many vacancies which could not 

 otherwise be easily occupied. But 

 at the same time I have often thought, 

 that if a number of them were grown 

 and made to flower in pots, it would 

 be a great addition to the beauty and 

 variety of a collection of plants. It 

 frequently occurs, when trained in 

 the common way, that most of their 

 flowers are so far from the eye as 

 frequently to escape observation alto- 

 gether : and again, from the situation, 

 they are entirely exposed to the 

 burning rays of the sun, which 

 causes their flowers to drop in 

 a few days. From these and 

 other considerations, I have 

 tried several in pots, and find them to grow and flower 

 as well as I could wish. I have no doubt but most of 

 our hot and green-house climbers might be flowered 

 in this way. One great advantage is, that the most 

 tender of them, when in flower, can be taken to the 

 conservatory, or green-house, where they will continue 

 in flower double or treble the time they would have 

 done in a hot-house. The accompanying sketch, (Jig. 7.) 

 shows the way in which I train them. It is simple and 

 Vol. II. — No. 5. c 



